Combined folding screen and railroad playboard



L A m N Em mm s6 m Sept, 23, 1930.

AND RAILROAD PLAYBOARD Filed Jan. 24", 1930 I INVENTOR IVE ks flleNa umD. cl; Sinai/12 mad,

Patented Sept. 23, 1930 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE WILLIAM 8. LE NOIR,DARWIN J. SMITH, AND IR'VIN ENGLER, OF SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA COMBINEDFOLDING SCREEN AND RAILROAD PLAYBOAIRD Application filed January 24,1930. SeriaI No. 423,070.

This invention relates to toys, and particularly to toy railroads whichbesides the rolling stock and other equipment consists of sections oftrack adapted to be detachably con- 5 nected together to form acontinuous and endless railway line.

The track, as indicated, comes in sections arranged to be detachablysocketed into connection with each other and which must rest on a flatsurface such as the floor of the nursery or other room in which thechildren are playing. When they are through playing the track sectionsmust be disconnected from each other if the floor is to be cleared. Thisoporation is usually left undone by the children and as a result thetracks are frequently stepped on or stumbled against by persons crossingthe room and are usually damaged. Even when the track sections areproperly go taken apart and stacked damage is apt to result, since thesections are relatively weak and they are easily bent or otherwisedistorted so that they cannot be again successfully used. Also, beingnormally separated 86 elements, the track sections are frequently lost.

As a result toys of this character while a source of great amusement tothe children are apt to be looked on by the parents as somewhat as anuisance and a source of constant expense for replacement of parts.

The principal object of our invention is to eliminate the aboveobjectionable features by parmanently mounting the track sections 85onto a number of rigid portable and foldable panels of convenient sizewhich not only I serve to support the track, but are also arranged whenthe track is not in use to serve as an ornamental screen. This may beused 40 to conceal the movable railroad equipmentand any other toyswhich may be kept in the room, so that the latter will present a neatappearance with a minimum of work. The track being permanently mountedin place it is always ready for use and is not easily damaged, and thesupporting panels being easily raised to a screen forming position ithere is little or no excuse for leaving the same outstretched on thefloor when the children are finished playing. Not only does separatedrail sections of adjacent panels.

this structure enable the track to be used on a floor but the panels mayalso be easily lifted onto a table or supported by horses or the like.It can also be set up out of doors on lawns or similar surfaces, sincethe rigid 55 nature of the panels enables the track to'have thenecessary even alinement regardless of small inequalities in the groundsurfaces, but which are sufliciently prominent to prevent the presentunmounted track from being set 50 up out of doors and successfully used.The railroad game or toy is therefore no longer solely an indoor gamebut can be used either indoors or outdoors as may be desired. The panelsbeing closely foldableagainst each 5 other they may be easily passedthrou h a door-way when conveying the device rom one room to the other,and being then of relatively compact and fiat form the device does notoccupy any great amount of storage room. 7

The track lay-outs on the different panels must of course be keptseparate from each other somewhat, so as to enable the panels to befolded in either direction. We have therefore provided a simple andeasily op erated means for enabling the gaps between the tracks ofadjacent panels to be bridged when the panels are laid out flat so thata train may pass along the track between the panels without danger ofderailment.

A further object is to produce a simple and inexpensive device and yetone which will be exceedingly effective for the purpose for which it isdesigned.

These objects we accomplish by means of 5 such'structure and relativearrangement of parts as will fully appear by a perusal of the followingspecification and claims.

In the drawings similar characters of reference indicate correspondingparts in the several views:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of the structure showing-the panels outstretchedand the track as ready for use. a

Fig. 2 is a perspective view showing the panels upstanding and in apartially folded position.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary enlarged View showing the bridging means betweenthe The panels 1 and 2 are connectedby double action hinges 5 ofstandard character, while the panels 2 and 3 are connected by straphinges (3 secured on the faces of the mouldings M at the top and bottom,which not only permits turning and folding movement of the panel 3either way relative to the panel 2 but permits the same to fold with thetrack supporting surfaces of the panels facing each other, and so thatsaid panels are parallel and close to each other, even with thethickness of the two sets of tracks therebetween, as indicated in Fig.2. The depth of the moldings M is suclr that they then abut against eachother, while the tracks do not touch. The track sections 8 of standardform such as can be purchased in almost any toy shop, are assembled witheach other to form an endless line or unit of any desired configuration,and are permanently secured onto the panels in any suitable manner suchas by means of screws 9 placed through the ties 10 of the track sectionsand into the panels. The rails on the different panels whilelongitudinally alined with each other terminate short of the meetingedges of the panels, so as not to interfere with the folding movement ofthe latter in either direction. Also the ties are preferably mounteddirectl at the said ends of the rails as shown in ig. 3, so as toprevent any possibility of the rails being deflected laterally and outof alinement with each other at any time. To bridge the gap between therails slides 11 are closely mounted on the individual rails of one paneland adapted to slide over the gap to engage the adjacent ends of thecorresponding rails of the adjacent panel. Lips 12 preferably projectoutwardly from the sides of the slides to serve as finger engaging meansfor readily manipulating the slides. The ends of the slides may bebeveled off as shown at 13, so as to form as smooth a junction aspossible with the rails and thus prevent possible jumping of the wheelsof the rolling stocks as said wheels engage the slides.

The slides above described are intended to be permanently mounted on therails which is advantageous in that they are not liable to become lost.If desired however detachable bridging means may be used instead, suchas spring clips 14. These clips are similar to the slides except thatthey are intended to be placed in a bridging position by a directdownward movement, and hence their sides are flared out somewhat attheir lower ends as shown so as to enable said sides to easily separateand pass by the heads of the rails as the clips are pressed down intoengagement with the same.

\Vhcn it is desired to fold the panels so as to stow the same out of theway it is only necessary to retract or remove the gap bridging elements,raise the panels to a vertical position and set them at any desiredangle to each other. The lower edges of the panels are preferablyprovided with foot pads 15 to engage the floor when the device is beingused as a screen.

\Vhen thus used all the ornamental sides of the panels of course faceoutwardly. When the device is completely folded the track engaging sidesof the panels 2 and 3 face each other, so that the ornamental face ofthe panel 3 is outwardly, while the ornamental sides of the panels 1 and2 are in facing and closely adjacent relation to each other, thus givinga very compact arrangement. Since the ornamental side of the panel 3faces outwardly as above stated, the device may be placed against a wallin its folded position and still present a neat and attractiveappearance.

Though we have shown and described a structure as consisting of threepanels it will be obvious that in smaller or larger sizes a greater orlesser number of panels may be used. In any event the same advantageousend is attained, namely the permanent mounting of the track on the rigidfoldable panels so that said track may be instantly put to use and asquickly removed out of the way when its use is not longer desired forthe time being.

From the foregoing description it will be readily seen that we haveproduced such a device as substantially fulfills the objects of theinvention as set forth herein.

While this specification sets forth in detail the present and preferredconstruction of the device, still in practice such deviations from suchdetail may be resorted to as do not form a departure fro-1n the spiritof the invention as defined by the appended claims.

Having thus described our invention what we claim as new and useful anddesire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In combination, a-plurality of separate rigid panels hinged togetheralong their adjacent edges for folding movement relative to each other,and a toy-railway track rigidly secured to the panels to form acontinuous line when the panels are outstretched.

2. A structure as in claim 1, in which the faces of the panels oppositeto those on which the tracks are disposed are of ornamental appearancewhereby to enable said panels,

when upended, to serve as an ornamental screen.

3. In combination, rigid panel units, and P an endless toy-railroadtrack permanently secured on one face of said units.

4. In combination, a plurality of separate rigid panels hinged togetheralong their adjacent edges for folding movement relative to each other,a toy-railway track permanently secured to each separate panel, thetrack on one panel alining with that of the adjacent panel but having agap therebetween in the plane of the joint between the panels, and meansfor engagement with the rails of the track at the gap when the panelsare 0utstretched to bridge said gap and form an unbroken length oftrackage.

5. In combination, a plurality of separate rigid panels hinged togetheralong their adjacent edges for folding movement relative to each other,a toy-railway track ermanently secured to each separate panel, t e trackon one panel alining with that of the adjacent panel but having a gaptherebetween in the plane of the joint between the panels, and

slides mounted on the rails of one panel adjacent the gap and adapted tobe moved lengthwise of said rails across the ap, and into engagementwith the corresponfmg rails of the other panel.

In testimony whereof we afiix our signatures.

WILLIAM S. LE NOIR. DARWIN J. SMITH. IRVIN ENGLER.

